The Craft of Writing Science Fiction that Sells by Ben Bova

The Craft of Writing Science Fiction that Sells by Ben Bova

Author:Ben Bova [Bova, Ben]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: XXXXXXXX
Publisher: ReAnimus Press
Published: 2011-12-13T22:00:00+00:00


BUILDING STORY FLOW

Some writers like to make fairly detailed outlines of their stories, so that they know almost exactly what is going to happen, scene by scene. This makes some sense for longer works such as novels, where the plot can get quite complicated. We will discuss outlining for novels in chapter fifteen. But for the short story, outlines can sometimes be a hindrance rather than a help.

If the story is to flow out of the conflict between the two major characters (or the protagonist’s conflict with the environment), a detailed outline might just strangle the characters’ freedom of action. If the writer forces the characters to move from scene to scene and speak the dialogue necessary for each scene exactly as outlined, the end effect is generally a very wooden story.

Short stories usually do not have that many scenes, nor such complicated plots, that elaborate outlining is necessary. Certainly the writer must be exact about the background details of the story, especially science fictional elements when the story is set elsewhere from the here-and-now. And the protagonist’s inner conflict must be nailed down firmly in the writer’s mind before the first words are set on paper. But more often than not, a detailed outline of the plot stultifies the story. If you know your characters and their conflicts, you should let them write the story for you. Only if you find yourself drifting hopelessly at sea should you make a detailed outline for plotting purposes.

In writing stories of any length, the most important thing to keep in mind is show, don’t tell. It is so important that I will say it again:

Show, don’t tell.

This is especially true in the short story.

The moment you break the flow of the story’s action to explain things to the reader, you run the risk of losing the reader. All of a sudden, instead of being in the story, living the role of the protagonist, the reader is listening to you lecturing. No matter how important the information you want to get across, readers are immediately reminded that they are reading, rather than living in the story. It is a risk that you should never run if you can avoid it. Never give the reader an opportunity to look up from the page.

If you find it necessary to explain the eighteen-century-long history of the Terran Confederation, find some way to have the characters do it for you. And not by having them discuss it! Putting dull lectures into dialogue form does not stop them from being dull lectures. If the story absolutely will not work without all that background history, you must personify the information in a character, and have that character’s actions show the readers what you want them to learn.

In ninety-nine cases out of one hundred, all that background information can be chopped out of the story with no loss at all. The reader generally does not need or want long treatises of background information. The writer must know this information, because it will shape the actions of the story’s characters.



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